Chapter 185 Driving Away Because of Jealousy

"Serve...serve me for the rest of my life?"

Shen Chu stared at Zhang Lan, dumbfounded.

Ah, this...

Is this the kind of service she's thinking of?

Pei Yuan, sitting opposite, lowered his head to pick up his chopsticks, tapped the plate in front of Chen Chu, and gave a half-smile.

"Young Master Shen is quite the ladies' man! He rescued a beauty, and she offered herself to him. Are you acting out a story?"

Heh~

A faint, cold sneer escaped from his throat, sending a chill down one's spine for no apparent reason.

Chen Chu shuddered and came to her senses.

She quickly waved her hand and said, "No, Miss Zhang, please don't say that."

I saved you and Madam Zhang as part of my duty as an official, and also because I admired Miss Zhang's self-reliance and resilience.

If I were to ask Miss Zhang for something in return, it would go against my original intention of saving you, and that would really be inappropriate.”

A hint of sadness flashed in Zhang Lan's eyes.

"I know my appearance is plain and my body is no longer clean, so I am absolutely unworthy of Seventh Brother."

All I want is to stay by Seventh Brother's side and be a maid who serves tea and water, grinds ink and lays out paper.

"Seventh Brother, if you don't agree, does that mean you look down on me?"

Chen Chu frowned. "What are you saying? How could I possibly look down on you?"

Your willingness to risk your life to save your mother in an extremely dangerous situation demonstrates your filial piety and decisiveness.

The fact that you were able to survive in a bandit's den surrounded by tigers and wolves, and even draw a map of Leigong Village, is enough to show your intelligence and forbearance.

As for the phrase "with a delicate and frail appearance," that's an overstatement of modesty.

In my eyes, you have delicate eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, a beautiful face, and are an exceptionally pretty girl.

"Really?" Zhang Lan's eyes sparkled, her cheeks flushed. "Am I really that good in Seventh Brother's heart?"

“Of course.” Shen Chu nodded earnestly.

She genuinely admired Zhang Lan's strength and intelligence, and the memory of not wanting to be forcibly taken by bandits left a shadow in her heart.

"In my heart, you are the strongest and most beautiful girl."

Zhang Lan bit her lip lightly, and her beautiful eyes welled up with tears.

"Since I am so good, why won't Seventh Brother let me stay by his side and serve him?"

I really just want to repay a debt of gratitude. If I can't repay the life-saving kindness, I will never have peace of mind for the rest of my life.

"Please, Seventh Brother, give me a chance to repay your kindness, okay?"

Shen Chu had a bit of a headache.

This girl is a bit stubborn.

"This is really inappropriate."

Zhang Lan didn't understand, "What's wrong with it?"

*Smack*

Zhang Lan shuddered in fright and instinctively turned her head to look.

Pei Yuan held one half of a chopstick in his hand, while the other half fell onto the table, rolled a few times, and landed on the floor.

Zhang Lan instinctively shrank her neck.

The way the Sixth Prince looked at him was no different from how he looked at that broken chopstick.

It also had a slightly strange feel to it.

It felt like I had stolen the noodles from his bowl.

Zhang Lan hesitated, "Your Highness."

Pei Yuan threw the half-chopstick on the table and snorted coldly.

"So Miss Zhang has come to repay a debt of gratitude today. I thought you had come to repay kindness with enmity."

Zhang Lan asked, puzzled, "Why does Your Highness say that?"

Pei Yuan nodded at Chen Chu with his chin.

"He is the salt commissioner appointed by the imperial court. What about you?"

To put it bluntly, you are the daughter of the criminal Jiang Hongzhi.

Zhang Lan's face paled. "But my mother has already written a letter of divorce. I have nothing to do with him anymore."

"The letter of divorce severs your mother's marital relationship with him, as well as her father-daughter relationship. Blood ties are ordained by heaven; how can you sever them just because you say so?"

"He is now presiding over your father's case, yet you want to enter his inner circle under the guise of repaying a debt of gratitude. What will others think of him?"

Will you sacrifice yourself to save your father? Or will you allow others to succumb to lust and neglect their duties?

Zhang Lan's expression changed drastically.

"I didn't mean that. How could I possibly exonerate Jiang Hongzhi?"

"But others may not think that way. I'm afraid that the moment you step into Shen Chu's backyard, someone will impeach Shen Chu for abusing his power for personal gain."

This charge can be either minor or serious.

At best, they could be dismissed from their posts; at worst, they could lose their heads.

"Miss Zhang, are you really here to repay a debt of gratitude?"

Zhang Lan was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she looked at Shen Chu helplessly.

"I really didn't mean that, Seventh Brother, you have to believe me."

Shen Chu nodded, "Get up first, of course I trust you."

Zhang Lan dared not kneel any longer.

As soon as he stood up, he heard Pei Yuan snort coldly.

"Strictly speaking, it was quite inappropriate for you to invite Shen Chu to dinner today."

In the eyes of the censor, this constituted a private meeting between the presiding judge and the prisoner's family, raising suspicions of bribery.

Zhang Lan panicked and explained with red eyes, "I really didn't mean that."

Shen Chu frowned and glared at Pei Yuan, "It's just a bowl of noodles, don't be afraid, it's not that serious."

Pei Yuan snorted coldly, "The reason the previous emperor executed the imperial envoy on his way of investigating the case was that he had entered and exited the same restaurant as the criminal's family during the interrogation."

Just for passing through, you can be beheaded? What about you eating at the same table?

Miss Zhang, do you still want to enter his harem?

He was beheaded simply for visiting the same restaurant?

Zhang Lan was so frightened that her face was streaked with tears. She kept waving her hands and crying, she said:

"No, I won't join."

"Hiccup... I want to repay a debt of gratitude... hiccup... not revenge."

"Waaaah... Seventh Brother, I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm leaving now, so no one can find any evidence against Seventh Brother."

Zhang Lan cried and hiccuped, "No, I won't come to see you while Seventh Brother is handling the case."

"Wouldn't that prevent anyone from impeaching Seventh Brother?"

Chen Chu sighed and said gently, "Don't cry, listen to me."

Zhang Lan looked at her with teary eyes.

She said sincerely, "The reason I don't want you to come with me isn't just because of the case."

A girl as intelligent as you would be wasting your time serving me tea and water.

You're only fifteen years old, and you have a long life ahead of you. I hope you can do what you truly love.

I want you to live according to your own wishes, instead of staying in my backyard and taking care of my life.

If you truly want to repay my kindness, then help those in need and enable more people to live a better life. That would be the best way to repay me.

Zhang Lan nodded blankly, it was unclear whether she had taken it all in.

After a moment, she whispered, "Seventh Brother, how about... you pay for this bowl of noodles yourself?"

I...I don't want others to think I'm bribing you.

Chen Chu smiled, "Okay, I'll do it..."

“I’ll pay,” Pei Yuan suddenly said.

Shen Chu blinked, then swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Okay.

That saved us some money.

"Is there anything else?" Pei Yuan glanced coldly at Zhang Lan.

Zhang Lan shook her head and stammered, "No...nothing, Seventh Brother, I'm leaving now."

Shen Chu watched Zhang Lan leave, then looked at Pei Yuan with a helpless expression.

"Ms. Zhang is not only a family member of the perpetrator, but also a victim in this case."

Besides, she severed ties with Jiang Hongzhi in front of the people of Anhua; why would Your Highness need to frighten her with such words?

Pei Yuan narrowed his peach blossom eyes slightly, "What did you call me?"

Chen Chu felt helpless.

Is now the time to agonize over how to address someone?

"Sixth Brother."

Pei Yuan snorted, picked up a new pair of chopsticks, and continued eating his noodles with a blank expression.

Chen Chu sat down next to him, puffing up her cheeks.

"Your Highness knows perfectly well why Miss Zhang and I went out to eat, so why did you have to scare her away?"

How am I supposed to handle cases after this?

Pei Yuan raised an eyebrow, looking completely innocent.

"I'm not a mind reader, how would I know your purpose?"

Come on, tell me your purpose, I'm listening.

Chen Chu...

Pei Yuan, a man more cunning than a wolf, how could he not understand her purpose?

Pretending to be ignorant when you know the truth.

Her eyes flickered slightly, and she suddenly said, "I understand."

"Know what?"

Shen Chu smiled and said, "Your Highness drove Miss Zhang away because of jealousy."

Pei Yuan, who was eating noodles: "Cough...cough cough cough!"

A mouthful of noodles went down my throat.